UPDATE in FIRST COMMENT!: AMEX BCE @ $21K - Ask for CLI?

[jamie123]

I was approved for an AMEX BCE a little over 1 year ago with a starting CL of $21K. In the past year I have used the 0% for 12 months offer and have had really high reporting balances (70 to 80% UTI) because...free money.

I have recently paid my balance to $0 because the 0% offer was going to expire.

I want to ask for a CLI now but 3X sounds a bit on the high side with my starting CL already at $21K. How much should I ask for? I don't mind proving my income to them if that is necessary.

What do you guys think?

UPDATE: No! No! No! Not happening! (AMEX's response to my CLI request.)

I hit the AMEX Luv button and asked for a CLI from $21K to $30K. (I wimped out about asking for the 3X.) Boom. Instantly denied with the 7 to 10 day message. Not to be put off by that, I called 3 different backdoor numbers for a recon and was denied each time! Nobody would tell me why I was denied, they just told me to wait for the letter in the mail that I would receive in 7 to 10 days.

I recieved the letter and it stated that I was denied because I had a charge card with a limit on it. That would be my AMEX Zync card that has a $500 hard limit. I called back for a recon and I kid you not, I talked with 12 people and none of them could help me. I was on the phone for more than an hour before I gave up.

Not to be deterred by the AMEX response, I asked for CLIs from most of my other cards. These are the results of my very successful annual CLI spree listing the balance/credit line of each card at the time of request and the CLI that was received. I think that I did quite well. Here are the results:

Amazon Store: $406/$5000 to $10,000 - Hit the Luv button for a good boost!

AMEX Zync: $0/$500 hard limit - Did not ask for CLI

AMEX BCE: $0/$21K - Denied instantly. Called back for 4 recons and all were denied.

Cap1 Platinum: $0/$1300 - Did not ask because this is a secured card from when I started rebuilding 6 years ago.

Cap1 QS: $10,590/$13,750 - Did not ask because I received a $750 CLI about 3 months ago and UTI is very high. Balance is a 0% balance transfer offer.

Citi Diamond Preferred: $5120/$8000 to $12K then after recon to $20K! - Hit the Luv button and asked for $20K, said I was instantly approved for $12K and asked if I would like a manual review to see if I qualified for the $20K. Pressed button for manual review and the next day I was informed that I was approved for $20K!

BoA Cash Rewards: $0/$6000 to $12,000 - Asked for $20K but I'm happy with the $12K for now.

Chase Freedom: $0/$1500 Denied instantly. After recon to $5000! - Called for recon after denial to discover that my ex-wife must have fraudulently opened an account with them back in 1995 in my name (Yeah, she did stuff like this right before our divorce. Great woman she was!) that was charged off in 1998. After everything was straightened out I asked again for the $20K CLI. (Yeah, I'm not shy!) Customer Service Rep said she couldn't do that today but that I should keep asking for CLIs. (Wink,wink.) I'll be asking for another CLI in about 6 months.

Discover IT: 0/$30,500 - Didn't ask because I went from $25,500 to $30,500 after pressing the Luv button about 3 months ago.

Walmart MC: $0/$8000 to $10,000 - Hit the Luv button for a good boost!

So all in all I was very happy with the results! I boosted my CLs by a total of $28,500 in about 2 days! I am always surprised by the results of CLI requests. I thought for sure that AMEX would boost my starting CL from $21K to $30K but was denied! I thought that my Citi Diamond card with a balance of $5120/$8000 would instantly shoot me down but walked away with a $12K CLI to $20K! You just never know until you ask. Always keep asking for CLIs people! Don't be discouraged.

I had zero credit cards this time 6 years ago, an EQ score of 653 and a ton of baddies on my reports and look at where I am today. I couldn't have done any of this without all the help and support that I received from the wonderful members of MyFICO.

My current FICO scores pulled today 4/9/2018: EQ 763, TU 782, EX 758

[redpat]

Since it not "free money" any longer, how much do you really need.  I'm sure you can ask for 2x and get it but what good is that limit going to be for you.  If you want that much of a CL just to have then hit the button.  If you don't want to give them income info then just back-out of the CLI request and try a smaller amount.

Good luck.

[Gmood1]

How long ago did you pay the balance down to zero?
And for those months prior to paying it to zero, did you make substantially more than the minimum payments?
If so, you should be fine with asking for what you want.
Amex does track how often you PIF monthly.
I've seen members denied CLIs because Amex considered their payments too small towards a balance they were carrying. Even though they paid on time every month.

As redpat says you can always back out and lower your asking amount until you get an instant approval. Try increments of $1000.

[jamie123]

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@Gmood1wrote:
How long ago did you pay the balance down to zero?
And for those months prior to paying it to zero, did you make substantially more than the minimum payments?
If so, you should be fine with asking for what you want.
Amex does track how often you PIF monthly.
I've seen members denied CLIs because Amex considered their payments too small towards a balance they were carrying. Even though they paid on time every month.

As redpat says you can always back out and lower your asking amount until you get an instant approval. Try increments of $1000.

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I paid the balance down to $0 last week. It still hasn't shown up on my reports. I had until April 10th to pay it to zero without incurring interest on the 0% offer.

Yes, I always paid at least 2X the minimum payment, sometimes much more.

What do you mean by back out? Will AMEX allow me to ask again if I'm not approved?

I would be happy with a CL of $30K. That would be more than enough for me.

[Anonymous]

@jamie123: Congrats on the excellent SL and taking advantage of the promo. Sounds like you have a solid history established with them at this point, so why not shoot for the moon!? I’m sure you’ve read the Definitive Amex 3x CLI Guide on these forums, but if not or if not recently, do so! If Amex doesn’t want to give you $63K (which they may not), they may likely counter your 3x request with a different amount, and/or they may request a 4506T income verification form. Either way it doesn’t sound like there’s any harm at all in asking! Please keep us updated on your decision and the end result!

[simplynoir]

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@jamie123wrote:

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@Gmood1

I would be happy with a CL of $30K. That would be more than enough for me.

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Then request that amount. You should have no issues at all getting that without any IV/POI prompt.

[Gmood1]

When you go in to initiate your request. If it's a limit they aren't willing to give instantly. You'll get a IV request. Just hit the back button in the browser and lower the asking amount.
Normally when I see the IV request. It's an indication that you have a pre-approved or predetermined amount already registered in their system. You just over shot it.

In some cases they'll take the guess work out and just counter offer with what they are willing to give at the present time.

Don't freak out if you get several IV forms after the approval. You can ignore them and toss in the trash. Those are sent out automatically when ever you bump against the maximum amount they are willing to give at that time.
Personally I'd go for $40k..just because. lol

[jamie123]

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@Anonymouswrote:
@jamie123: Congrats on the excellent SL and taking advantage of the promo. Sounds like you have a solid history established with them at this point, so why not shoot for the moon!? I’m sure you’ve read the Definitive Amex 3x CLI Guide on these forums, but if not or if not recently, do so! If Amex doesn’t want to give you $63K (which they may not), they may likely counter your 3x request with a different amount, and/or they may request a 4506T income verification form. Either way it doesn’t sound like there’s any harm at all in asking! Please keep us updated on your decision and the end result!

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Yeah, I'm tempted by the 3X CLI. I don't really need that much but the bragging rights would be awesome!

I'm waffling about it at the moment...

I won't actually decide to do this until sometime at the end of next week when other CCs are shown being paid down too.

[Gmood1]

Amex has already done the SP on you that will be used for your CLI. Unless those balances have sky high utilization. It's not going to make a difference waiting for them to report.

[simplynoir]

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@Gmood1wrote:

Personally I'd go for $40k..just because. lol

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Yep, some on the boards don't agree with having lines that high but I'm of the opinion that if you can get it and AMEX will give them why not shoot for the moon.